"Grandfather" Chief George Remembers
Missoula— The lovable "grandfather" from the movie "Little Big Man" is as impressive in real life as he is on the screen.
Chief Dan George, greeted in Missoula Tuesdav by Flathead War Dancers, the Biackfeet Young Grey Horse Dancing and Singing Society and local officials, was in Western Montana to address the Indian Law Conference held at the U of M Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. At an evening banquet held in the Bitterroot Room of the Florence Hotel, Chief George said he had been traveling around visiting Indian Reservations for the past few years and said that he always felt better around real Indian people. He said he was glad to see Indians coming together to talk about mutual problems and offered a traditional Sioux prayer to dedicate the event and contradict the statement that Indians were savages and heathens.
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Judgements Affect
Commodities
There is a new hitch in the food commodities program.
The per capita (judgement payments recieved yearly) this month are being considered "windfalls" by state and federal food commodities regulatory officials. This means, according to Department of Agriculture consultant, Ray Carlyle, that as long as the judgement payments remain in the form of liquid assets, they may be judged as a resource and affect the eligibility of commodity recipients.
According to Carlyle, the state permissible level of financial resources is $1,000 per person or $1,500 per couple. He said that the recent payments, which amounted to $3,955.15, would be counted as resources and, unless
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PubUshed By The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Dixon, Montana
59831
CHAR-KOOSTA
Vol. 2, No. 2
19ih, Moon of the Blooming Bitterroot
PRICE 10c
WEEK OF POW WOWS IN MISSOULA
New Views On Indian Laws
Missoula—Some 200 Indian Delegates from western states attended a three day Law Conference of Montana at the University of Montana.
Among those sitting on panels at the Indian Law Seminar were Bureau of Indian Affairs Claims specialist John Vance, Indian Water Rights attorney William Beeder and John McDermott, Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Indian legal studies at the University of Montana.
(See page for a detailed account of confernece by Gerry Brown.)
KYI-YO Panalists Discuss Rights
Missoula— Bureau of Indian Affairs Water Rights Specialist William Veeder told Indian delegates at the University of Montana May 4, that "the dominant society is taking from the Indian people the basis for their survival.
Veeder told those assembled for the Kyi-Yo Indian Youth Conference that water rights have become the most important issue on reservations today. "Lose your water rights and you lose your reservation," he
Wheeler Innocent
Missoula— Joe Wheeler's Evero hill smokehsop was back in business last week end after a firm jurisdictional victory in Missoula County Justice Court.
Justice of the Peace J. G. Lamoreaux decided that the county did not have jurisdiction in cases involving state tax laws on the Flathead reservation. Immediately after Lamoreaux, a Sioux tribal member, pronounced Wheeler innocent, county officials took their case to Justice John Moon's court. Moon dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Wheeler's Missoula attorney, Marvin Ping, argued* that the state's jurisdiction on the reservation did not include tax laws. He told the court that "we have here a case in tax law, civil law. The State is seeking to tax an Indian's property on lands held in trust."
Following Justice Lamoreaux's decision, Missoula County Attorney Robert Deschamp and Chief tax counsel to the State Department of
Revenue, Edward Bell, said they would probably try to take the four month squabDle to District Court
Deschamp added, however, that the county would probably not continue its harassment of Wheeler.
The tribe is also interested in clearing up the tax question and has filed an injunction against Missoula County Sheriff John Moe and Lake County Sheriff Bill Phillips to head off any further harassment of tribal members.
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warned.
Calling Montana "the cradle of Indian water rights," he urged the state's Indians to quickly assert their legal jurisdiction over reservation waters. He said that there are already dangerous indications that government agencies are getting their fingers into the watershed of Indian waters on the Fort Belknap, Crow, Black-feet and Flathead Reservations. (Continued on page 3)
Gubernatorial Hopefuls Stump For Indian Vote
Missoula—Four Montana Gubernatorial candidates stumped their Indian Platforms to some 500 delegates at the Kyi-Yo Indian Youth Conference at the University of Montana May 5.
The four, Dallas Howard, Tom Judge, and Dick Dzivi— Democrates and GOP hopeful Frank Dunkle, represented all but two of the field. Republican Ed Smith was represented by Mrs. Freda Beasley.
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Howletts, Tribe Sue On State Income Tax
Butte—The tribe has filed an injuction and declaritory judgement suite to stop the state from assessing state income tax to tribal members. The suit was filed with the US District court for the State of Montana, Missoula Division.
Named as defendants in the action are : the State of Montana, members of the State Board of Equalization, Jack M. Smith, field investigator for the Department of Revenue and Winifred Vanderhoff, Sanders Clerk of Court. The defendants
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